The case against Jacob Misiorowski being included on the 2025 playoff roster

Yesterday morning, I laid out the argument for the Milwaukee Brewers including their flame-throwing, All-Star rookie, Jacob Misiorowski, on their NLDS roster. However, the other side of the argument also holds merit and makes clear why this is such a difficult decision for the Brewers. Here I address the counterargument: why The Miz should be left off the Brew Crew's NLDS roster.

First off, Misiorowski was relegated to the bullpen at the end of the regular season, which is likely the role he'd fill if the Brewers opt to include him on the NLDS roster.

Even with uncertainty clouding the availability of Brandon Woodruff and José Quintana, Milwaukee can scrape together a rotation of Freddy Peralta, Quinn Priester, Chad Patrick, and even a bullpen game featuring Tobias Myers as a bulk option. Misiorowski, for all his talent, has been too unreliable in the second half to take a start in October.

Unfortunately, that unreliability probably means he wouldn't be in Pat Murphy's circle of trust among the relief corps, either; if you don't trust Misiorowski to get outs at the beginning of the game, why would you throw him out there in a high-leverage situation late in the game? While his talent is undeniable, Misiorowski may need some refining before he's ready to play under the bright lights of October.

Why Jacob Misiorowski shouldn't be on the Brewers' NLDS roster

What is Miz's most elite tool? His velocity, right? He throws as hard as any starting pitcher in baseball, and that heat will only play up in short stints out of the bullpen.

Here's the problem, though: The Brewers aren't exactly hurting for velocity from their leverage relievers. Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill can both reach back for triple digits when needed, and the southpaw tandem of Jared Koenig and Aaron Ashby has shown capable of hitting the upper 90s with their primary fastballs. In fact, save for Grant Anderson and Rob Zastryzny, just about everyone in the Crew's bullpen can light up the radar gun with regularity.

Now, Miz may be the hardest thrower of the bunch, but he's simply been too unreliable to prioritize getting on the roster, at least given his superfluous skillset. He surrendered a 5.36 ERA in the second half, including a 9.58 mark in August.

The issue, as has always been the case during the rookie's cold stretches in the minors, has been command. His walk rate ballooned to 14.9% in August before "settling" at 10.3% in September, but those figures are unsustainable for a leverage reliever, especially if they worsen as Misiorowski lets loose with his velocity.

Misiorowski's batted ball profile was also concerning in the last month of the season, as he rarely generated ground balls (28.6%) and hitters began elevating on a consistent basis against him (52.4% fly ball rate). His hard-hit rate did come down to 25.4% in September, but against some of the elite lineups in the postseason, it's hard to trust a guy who has suddenly become ineffective at keeping balls on the ground.

For what it's worth, the expectation is that he will be included on the NLDS roster in some form when it's announced on Saturday morning. But given his recent struggles, the 23-year-old may not (yet) be the best fit for a Brewers team trying to win it all. Stashing Misiorowski in mop-up duty may seem cowardly at first glance, but perhaps building a little confidence could go a long way.